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Rush Teams Among Early Leaders in ECNL and MLS NEXT

October 21, 2026

VSA Rush’s U17 boys have opened their ECNL campaign with seven wins from seven matches, scoring 22 goals and conceding just three. The Iowa team leads the published Heartland Blue standings with 21 points.


VSA’s results include a 1-0 win over Gretna Elite Academy and a 5-1 victory against Sporting Nebraska. Elsewhere in Rush Nation, the early conference races are considerably tighter, including a U17 contest between two Rush clubs in ECNL Boys’ Mid-America Conference.


Lobos Rush’s U17 team sits first by points per game with five wins, one loss and one draw. Coastal Rush is immediately behind, with six wins and two losses. Lobos averages 2.29 points per match to Coastal’s 2.25, a small gap with much of the schedule still ahead.


Coastal’s U15 boys also hold second place in their conference, with six wins, two losses and a draw. At U14, Mississippi Rush United is third with five wins and a draw from six reported matches. Mississippi has conceded only once in those games, giving the team a strong defensive record to build on.


Points per game matters when reading these tables. Teams have played different numbers of matches, so a higher points total does not necessarily mean a higher position. Each placement reflects an individual age group’s conference or division.


In MLS NEXT’s Academy Division,
Washington Rush’s U16 boys are second in the published Pacific Northwest table. Four wins from five reported matches have produced a 2.40 points-per-game average, with 17 goals scored and six allowed.


Miami Futbol Academy Rush has also made a winning start in the separate MLS NEXT Homegrown Division. Its U16 team is listed first in the Florida table following a 3-0 league win over South Florida Football Academy. That position needs some perspective: only one league result is posted for Miami, and two other teams share its 3.00 points-per-game average.


Return fixtures will give players a chance to measure their progress against familiar opposition. They can revisit the problems an opponent caused the first time, then test whether the adjustments made in training hold up during a match.


Lobos and Coastal already have that comparison ahead of them. Coastal won their first U17 meeting 2-0 on September 19, even though Lobos now holds the narrow advantage in points per game. The teams are scheduled to meet again on October 24, this time with Lobos at home.

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About Rush Soccer

Formed in 1997, Rush Soccer is the largest youth soccer organization in the world with more than 60,000 players in 50 countries. Comprised of 175 clubs around the globe, Rush Soccer has cultivated a reputation of excellence on and off the field all while maintaining a local feel in the communities we serve. This expansive global footprint provides unparalleled opportunities for our entire player base to pursue pathways all the way to the highest level of professional soccer. Our breadth and depth of programs support our network of local clubs, coaches, staff, and partners. For more information about Rush Soccer, visit www.rushsoccer.com.

 

Media Contacts:
Rush Soccer Media Relations
Phone: (833) 546-7874
Email: marketing@rushsoccer.com

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